Qantas has been flying A380 services between Australia and the US since October 20, and last week I took my first trip on Airbus' double-decker plane between Los Angeles and Sydney. Does the much-hyped A380 deliver on its promise of more space, better entertainment and -- a crucial question for Lifehacker readers -- improved productivity options?

As someone who flies overseas at least half-a-dozen times a year and favours Qantas whenever I do, I knew that an encounter with the A380 was inevitable sooner rather than later. I don't class myself as a planespotter, so the mere experience wasn't going to be noteworthy, but I did want to see if the A380 could make good on its promise to offer better comfort and more in-seat work options in economy class -- which is, let's face it, where most of us will be spending our time on planes for the foreseeable future.

The immediate attraction for me is the ability to plug in a laptop and work during the flight, which has long been possible in business and first but hadn't previously stretched into cattle class for Qantas. The outlet (designed to handle all major plug types without needing an adaptor, another handy improvement on earlier approaches) is located on the leg of the seat in front of you, so it's easy to plug in and get going. One important point to note: while there's a power point accessible from every seat, there isn't one assigned to every seat -- a group of three seats has two points, so there is potential for arguments if you end up in a row of people all seeking to use their notebooks or charge their phones. (I'm not sure plugging in a power board, a perennial Road Worrier solution, would prove popular with the crew.)

Even with the in-seat power option, typing on a 15-inch laptop isn't easy in an economy-class seat. (I had the impression that there was marginally more space in this configuration than on the 747, but the fact the seat next to me was empty might well have influenced me here.) In that sense, the in-arm USB port, which you can use to charge a BlackBerry or iPod, is potentially more useful -- and you won't get into a fight with your neighbour over who's entitled to it.

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